Hanger for towels and the like



c. LIGHT Y, HANGER FOR TOWELS' AND THE LIKE.

. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9' 1920. 1,374,459.

Patented Apr.- 12, 1921.

443 m H m/W a W.

a jflorneys 'UITED STATE rat FFICE.

CARROLL LICHTY, OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

HANGER FOR TOWELS AND THE LIKE.

a hanger of simple, durable and inexpensive 7 structure for towels and a variety of other articles. I V

More particularly, it is my object to provide such a device including a back or support, a spring actuated roller mounted thereon, a cord on said roller, a guide for said cord, and a stop device on the cord.

A further object is to provide such a guide in the form of a rotatably mounted cover cap or casing, so mounted as to be held frictionally in different positions of its adjustment, and adapted by being rotated in different directions to make it possible to vary the tension of the spring device.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a hanger embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 shows a detail, sectional view taken in a vertical plane through the central part of my device.

Fig. 3 shows a detailed view illustrating the method of securing a towel or the like to the end of the cord or flexible member; and

Fig. 4 shows an end view of the spool and a modified form of the spring device.

In the drawings, herewith, I have employed the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally the back or support forming a part of my device. The back or support 10 is preferably provided with a peripheral offset flange 11, adapted to rest against the wall or the like, and provided with openings 12 for tacks or screws or other fastening means. The back or support 10 and flange 11 are preferably stamped from a sheet of metal, and it will be seen that s flicient space is left for printing an id vertisement on the support 10.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented. A131. 12, 1921. Application filed October 9, 1920.

Serial No. 415,863.

18, and having at its other end screw- 7 threads 19 to receive a nut 19. Adjacent to the hole in the raised portion 13, which receives the bolt 16, is a small hole 20. It will, of course, be understood that a long rivet screw or any suitable device, may be used instead of the bolt 16.

Inside the casing 14 and loosely mounted on the bolt 16 is a spool 21, the. openingin which is considerably larger than the bolt 16, to receive the coil spring 22, received within said opening, which is indicated by I the numeral 23, secured to one'end of the spool, as at 24. I V

The other end of the coil spring 22 is extended through the opening 20, as at 25, for thereby connecting the spool by means of the spring with the support 10.

Secured to the spool 21 is a flexible cord or the like 26, which is wound on the spool in the direction opposite that of the winding of the spring 22, so that after the cord 26 has been wrapped on the spool, then if the free end of the cord is pulled for rotating the spool, the spring will be wound up.

In the wall of the casing 14 is an opening 27 for the cord 26, and the cord is extended through the opening 27 and has on its free end, an annular member 28, of such size that it will not pass through the opening 27 and also of such size as to permit a loop of the cord 26 to be extended through it;

In the form shown in the drawings, the member 28 is an ordinary metal ring.

In the practical use of the device, assuming that the cord has been wound on the spool, so that the spring holds the ring 28 adjacent to the casing 14. Then if the ring 28 is grasped and pulled away from the casing, it will be seen that the spring will be wound up for increasing its tension and that on releasing the ring 28, the spring will ro tate the spool, and wind the cord thereon.

Various useful articles may be fastened to the free end of the cord 26. A loop of the cord may be extended through the ring 28 and made to receive a towel 29, as shown in Fig. 3. A telephone list or various other articles may be fastened to the cord. I have found the device useful for supporting a rubber stamp, which is subject to frequent use.

After each use of such an article, it can simply be removed and the spring will return the parts to their normal position.

One important. advantage of the construc- 1 tion herein shown, including the fact that the mechanism is entirely covered by the casing 14, arises from the fact that by rotating the casing 1 1 in a direction tending to wind up the spring, and also to wind the cord on the spool, and the ring 28 will engage the outer surface of the casing, whereupon the rotation of the casing will impart rotation to the spool, through the medium of the cord, for winding up the spring and increasing the tension thereon. The nut.18 can be tightened sufiiciently, so'that the parts will be held in any position given them by such rotation of the casing 14.

Another" advantage of the construction and arrangement of the casing 14 in con nection with the other parts arises from the fact that the opening 27 may be adjusted, so as to be at the bottom of the casing, or at the side or at the top, as may be desired for different uses of the device.

It is obvious that considerable variation may be made in the construction of my device. It will be used partially for an advertising novelty and can be made in different forms for different kinds of advertisements.

In Fig. 4, I have shown in the spood 21, a coil spring 30, having at one end a reverse coil 31, fastened to the end of the spool by a staple 32. I have found this a very effective way of fastening the spring to the spool and also that a spring can be made with the member 31 cheaply and rapidly.

It is my purpose to cover such modified forms of structure and variations and use of mechanical equivalents, as may be reasonably included within the scope of my claim.

I claim as my invention:

In a hanger for towels or the like, a support having a raised portion in its surface, a cover casing member of substantially the same size as said raised portion adapted to extend over said raised portion, a shaft having one of its ends journaled in said cover casing and its other end in said support, said cover casing being provided with an opening, a spool mounted on said shaft and on the inside of said cover casing, a spring on said shaft having one end fixed to said spool and the other end to said support, a

cord fixed to said spool adapted to extend through said opening, a stop member'on the extended end of said cord for preventing it from passing through said opening, the

parts being so arranged that the tension of the spring may be varied by rotating the cover casing relative to the support.

Des Moines, Iowa, October 1, 1920.

. CARROLL LICI-ITY. 

